Fruit portions

Question
Hi Laurie

I have a question about portions of fruit. I know that usually a glass of juice only counts as one portion and that if you eat more than one of the same fruit it only counts as one for the day (eg two apples can only count as one portion).

But my question is: if I have a glass of orange juice in the morning (one portion) and then later eat a clementine/satsuma; do the glass of juice and clementine/Satsuma count as 2 different portions of just one?

Thanks :)

Answer
Hello Alice,

That's an interesting guideline from your country that we don't have here. Usually when people ask about portions here, they are concerned with calories, and certainly every bite counts!

The principle you are referring to here helps guide people towards variety in their diet: while having 2 servings of a fruit in the orange family can be nutritious, they want to steer you towards eating different fruits entirely so you may have the benefit of different nutrients and phytochemicals.

I would have to say that orange juice and clementines would provide quite similar nutrition. However, being that they are both highly nutritious, I would not suggest you avoid them if you have room for them in your diet.
For example, if someone eats so many servings of orange juice that they start to gain weight, or have a problem with blood sugar elevation, or never eat another type of fruit, it would not be a wise choice.

If you are at a healthy weight and enjoy a variety of foods throughout the day, I would not advise against enjoying an extra portion of a fruit in the orange family!

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